Part V
[Time Frame]: St. Mungo's Hospital- Neville has just arrived.
Neville wandered through the halls of St. Mungo's aimlessly. He wouldn't admit to any of the nurses that he was lost, though in truth, he was. While thinking about this new-found attitude he'd just uncovered within itself, he'd gotten mixed up in the seemingly identical hallways. Where exactly was the Mentally Ill ward?
With a sigh, he decided to ask one of the nurses, who was coming down the corridor with a checklist. "Excuse me, ma'am," he said quietly, touching her arm. "Can you please direct me to the Mentally Ill Ward?" She looked up into his face and smiled. "Of course, sir, right this way, I was just going there myself." She lead him down several more hallways, up a few flights of stairs, and pointed to double doors at the end of a rather dreary corridor.
"Through those doors and you're good to go, sir," she told him. He nodded, thanked her, and headed down the hall. The nurse stood, checking off things on her board, behind him. He felt brave and opened the door to a blood-curdling scream.
Jumping back in fright, the door swung back to close. He grabbed it just in time, so that it didn't slam, and slipped inside with bated breath. Sure enough, the scream sounded again from a room quite near the entrance. He peered in. Relief washed over him as he saw that it was not his parents or Mr. Lovegood, but a very old woman who seemed to be part banshee. There was a tinge of green to her skin…or maybe she was just sick. He dodged out of the doorway as the woman vomited.
Nervously, he moved on. The next few rooms were dark, so he didn't even bother asking. He'd come back if his search proved uneventful. It took another moment, but then it hit him. He remembered where his Gran had taken him when she came last to visit his parents.
He turned a few more corners and ended up exactly where he wanted to be: the severe, point-of-no-return rooms. With a quick peek into a few open doors, he found a glorious sight- short cropped hair and a Drooble's Blowing Gum wrapper in the hand of a petite yet attractive woman. Alice Longbottom, his
"Mum!" He rushed into her arms. There weren't any nurses in sight, so he gratefully closed the door and finished the hug properly. She seemed a little too unresponsive today, though. She didn't even put her arms around him like she usually did. Instead, she ripped the gum wrapper in little pieces behind his head and mumbled incomprehensibly.
Neville pulled away and studied her face. "How are you, Mum?" he asked. She looked at him, petted his head, and continued ripping the wrapper. Neville led her over to a comfortable seat in the room and faced her. "Where's Dad?" he asked. Again, she looked at him, but his time she smiled. "Dad," she repeated quietly. Neville nodded happily. "Yes, Dad. Where is he?" She pointed a finger toward the door Neville had just come in. He stared. "Out there?" His mother nodded and then went back to ripping the wrapper into tiny pieces.
Neville jumped toward the door, blowing his mother a kiss, and rushed out. His Dad was out in the ward, wandering around? Not good. Not good AT ALL.
He ran like a madman through the place, peeking into each and every room. He was ignored by most of the nurses, which wasn't exactly comforting. Once, he asked one if she'd seen Frank Longbottom, and she stared at him as though he were from America and walked off.
After a tiring hour or so, he found his Dad, but not in the place he'd expected. Frank Longbottom was sitting in Xenophilius Lovegood's room, on the floor, listening to the man jabber away. With a sigh of relief, Neville made his presence known.
"Hey, Dad, why'd you go and leave Mum all alone? She's missing you." His father looked up with a smile but did not stand. Mr. Lovegood was still talking. Neville knelt down in front of his father. "Alice," he said clearly. Frank stood and left the room. Neville beamed and turned to face Luna's father.
"Mr. Lovegood, I'm Neville Longbottom," he said. Mr. Lovegood stopped talking and stared. "Neville," he muttered. Feeling accomplished, Neville sat himself down on a stool and leaned closer to the man. "Yes," he whispered. "I am Neville."
The man's hands began to tremble. Neville backed off, fearful that Luna's father might have a fit or something, but all he did was repeat, over and over, "Neville, Neville."
Then, something extraordinary happened. Mr. Lovegood looked Neville right in the face. "You must," he whispered. Neville, puzzled, leaned close again. "Must what?" he asked. Mr. Lovegood, without a blink, said, "Save her."
Neville stood. "Where?" The man sitting on the bed did not speak. Neville headed for the door, opened it, and started to leave. However, he could have sworn he'd heard, "Shrieking Shack," come from the room as he left.
Without a doubt, he knew that was where he must go.
Might seem a bit rushed, but I had to decide why he even went to St. Mungo's in the first place. Next part I am very excited to write X3. R&R if you wish.